This invention relates to stuffing of tubular food casing with food product and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for efficiently applying clips or ties to stuffed food product for separation into discrete "links."
It has been known that food product stuffed into tubular food casing can be separated into discrete links by means of ties or clips. Unfortunately such linking has been an inefficient operation since in order to apply a tie or clip the stuffing operation has to be momentarily stopped. This has had a number of disadvantages. In particular the repeated starting and stopping of the stuffing operation is time consuming thus slowing the stuffing process. In addition food product is supplied to the casing by means of a food product pump which must be repeatedly turned on and off as the stuffing operation starts and stops. This is not only hard on the pump but creates pressure surges of food product which contributes to a non-uniform diameter in the finished stuffed product.
Attempts have been made to apply closures as the stuffed food product continues to move, e.g., as described in WO-A-9005671 and NL-A-9201169. These publications described complex mechanisms requiring numerous closing devices. Another problem associated with such devices is a non uniformity resulting from friction of stuffed food product with conveying or holding mechanisms.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which permits improved production rate for stuffed tubular food casing and which permits the production of product having a more uniform stuffed diameter, using a single closing device.